Power of Prayer

A couple of days ago I found the black hole closing in on me.  The "black hole" is a depressive state that I battle occasionally.  In my case (as those of you who have been following me for a while may know), depression often takes the form of irrational anxiety about my health.  Usually, once it is over I can write about it with a bit self deprecating humor but in case you suffer from depression and anxiety, you know its not so funny when you are in the midst of it.

So anyway, on Tuesday I was at work and I was nearly paralyzed with fear that came from who-knows-where.  Its not just the fear of death, it is the sorrow of loss, grief, every negative thought you can summon with a brain that is functioning with a temporary glitch.  I liken it to people who say they can feel a migraine coming on and live in dread and fear of the inevitable pain that they know is on its way and that they cannot stop.  So in desperation to thwart what I could feel was coming, I got on to Facebook and posted a request for prayer.

I seem to be hearing and seeing a lot of requests for prayer these days.  Even from people who are not believers or not sure they are believers.  Whether believers or not, we are born with an internal knowledge that there is something powerful, bigger than we are, whom we can call on to deliver us.  And we somehow know to pray.  And we also somehow know that there is power in it.

It goes without saying that we are living in a difficult and stressful time.  In the midst of it, we are called not to worry.  We are called to live in faith.  This is incredibly difficult since economic and political instabilities continue to loom over us and threaten what we know of this world.  But I am reminded daily that while life is not always easy, while bad things do happen, while we watch helplessly as we witness suffering all around us, we have a God who promises to walk through it with us.

For I know the plans I have for you, sayeth the Lord, 

plans to prosper you and not to harm you, 

plans to give you hope and future. - Jeremiah 29:11

This does not mean that God promises material wealth with a white picket fence, free from cares.  Far from it.  We can expect all the wonder and all the woe that comes with any life.  We will experience love and joy and we will also experience tragedy and loss.  But God does have a plan for each of us, and it offers our best hope and our best future.  And we will not be alone.  And if we put our faith in that, we will find ourselves on solid ground no matter what befalls us.  Even irrational fear and anxiety.

So after I put it out there on Facebook, friends came running:  Christians and non-Christians and even at least one non-believer, and all of them offered their prayers.  And I was supernaturally rescued from the black hole within 30 minutes - because of so many wonderful, beloved people in my life and the power of  their individual and collective prayer.  God to the rescue - through people who call on Him.

Feel free to call on mine anytime.